Find a sound to work on
Take the free listening check or choose a contrast you already find confusing.
FROM READING TO LISTENING
Read Fluent Forever?
Put your ears to work.
You understand why unfamiliar sounds matter. Now spend a few minutes actually distinguishing them—with the words hidden while you listen.
Start with French u and ou.
In French, tu and tout differ in one vowel. A minimal pair makes that difference easier to compare.
In this exercise, A and B are your two references. X is a different word spoken in a different voice. Choose which reference shares X’s target sound.
You are practicing the sound category across examples, so memorizing one recording won’t be enough.
TRY ONE ROUNDFrench
Two examples. One new word.
Does X share A’s sound or B’s?
Listen for the target sound. Match its sound, not the whole word.
Spelling hidden. No account needed.
A practical way to begin.
Listen before you read
Compare the references, match the new sound, and hear corrective feedback during practice.
Return with fresh examples
Change words and voices. Revisit the contrasts that were hard instead of only repeating the ones you know.
Where MinimalPairs fits.
Fluent Forever’s pronunciation materials introduce the idea of training your ear before relying on familiar spelling. MinimalPairs is an independent listening tool for practicing sound contrasts in your browser. It can sit alongside your book, tutor, vocabulary deck or other language course.
Choose sound matching with the words hidden, or word identification when you want to connect sounds to written words. Practice gives you feedback; the diagnostic saves feedback for your results.
Listening practice is one part of learning a language. Keep using conversation, reading and vocabulary work alongside it.
Read how the listening exercises work →One purchase. All current practice languages.
See what’s included →$29 lifetime, or $7/month. The listening check and first three lessons in each language are free.
Questions before you start?
Do I need Anki or a Fluent Forever account?
No. Open an exercise in your browser. You can try the free lessons without an account.
Is this made by Fluent Forever?
No. MinimalPairs is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fluent Forever.
Will I see which sounds I missed?
The free diagnostic gives an overall score and a preview of your sound profile. Premium opens the detailed report and full practice library.
For the original pronunciation guidance, see Fluent Forever’s Chapter 3 resources and its pronunciation article.